This Week in Huskie Athletics, Northern Illinois University will have four teams in action. NIU Football heads to Boise to compete against Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23. The Huskies will look to win their second bowl game in as many seasons. NIU women’s basketball will be in action twice this week. First the Huskies will wrap up the EKU Multi Team Event against Eastern Kentucky at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Huskies then return home for the first time in December to play host to Idaho State on Friday, Dec. 20. The NIU men’s basketball team will take a road trip to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.18. NIU wrestling will take on Kent State in a MAC dual at 1 p.m. on Thursday before competing in the Kent State Open on Friday.

 Football

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Monday, Dec. 23: vs Fresno State, 1:30 p.m. CT –   Live Audio | Live Stats | ESPN

On Monday, The NIU football program makes its 21st bowl appearance all-time and its 16th as a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team as the Huskies take on Fresno State in the 2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The game will be played one year to the date of NIU’s 21-19 win over Arkansas State in the 2023 Camellia Bowl. NIU secured its 19th winning campaign since 2000 by defeating Central Michigan on November 30 in the regular season finale for its seventh win of the season. The Huskie defense enters the bowl game ranked fifth in the country in total defense and in the Top 20 in the country in nearly every defensive category. The game will be the last in a Huskie uniform for 24 seniors; the Huskies have 19 senior starters, including the three specialists. Fresno State is 6-6 on the year and posted a 4-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. (CT) on Monday, December 23rd. Watch the game live on ESPN.

 Women’s Basketball

Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Eastern Kentucky, 5 p.m. CT – Watch On ESPN+ |  Live Audio | Live Stats

Friday, Dec. 20 vs Idaho State, 1 p.m. –   Watch On ESPN+ |  Live Audio | Live Stats

Fresh of an 18-point comeback win over Indiana State on Sunday, NIU women’s basketball wraps up the EKU MTE with a clash against the Colonels on Tuesday night. The Huskies then return home to play host to Idaho State on at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20.

 Men’s Basketball

Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Illinois State, 7 p.m. – ESPN+ | Listen |  Live Stats

The final game before the Holiday break sees the NIU men’s basketball team head to Normal for the first meeting between NIU and Illinois State since 2003. Despite playing just twice in more than 40 years, Wednesday’s contest is the 111th all-time between the Huskies and Redbirds, NIU has won six of the last seven in the series. Quentin Jones leads the Huskies, and ranks ninth in the MAC, in scoring at 15.0 points per game, with James Dent Jr. is in the top 20 in the conference in both rebounding and assists.

Illinois State, who enters Wednesday’s matchup with a 6-4 overall record, is the fourth Missouri Valley Conference opponent for the Huskies this season. The Redbirds rank in the top 30 nationally in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage.

Wrestling

Thursday, Dec. 19 at Kent State, 1 p.m. CT – TrackWrestling

Friday, Dec. 20 at Kent State Open, 8 a.m. CT

After a nearly two-week break, the NIU Wrestling team returns to action with a MAC dual against Kent State. The Huskies and Golden Flashes will meet at 1 p.m. CT in Kent, Ohio as the Huskies have won the last five meetings with the Golden Flashes. The Huskies will continue action in Kent as they compete at the Kent State Open on December 20. Action is set to get underway at 8 a.m. for the Huskies.

This week’s wrestling rankings see two Huskies in their midst. Blake West (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) finds himself in four polls with his highest ranking at No. 16 in the WrestleState poll while Jacob Brya (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns) is in three polls with his highest ranking at No. 24 in the Intermat poll.